Telephone pay station



Aug.'6, 1929. E. M. scHANTz TELEPHONE PAY STATION Filed April 4, 1927 EUOW;

Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES EDWIN M. SCHAN'IZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TELEPHONE PAY STATION.

Application filed April 4,

The following invention relates to improvements in pay stations for telephones or the like where a coin is deposited by the user preliminary to obtaining service over the telephone lines or other systems. It has heretofore been the usual practice in telephone pay stations to provide a coin slot to permit the insertion of a coin, thereby establishing a connection of the pay station tele- 1 phone with the telephone operator at the central station and permitting the subscriber to call for the desired number. If, upon ringing that number, no answer is received, the telephone operator at the central station has been permitted, by facilities provided in connection with the telephone system, to release the coin from an intermediate position in the coin box of the pay station and return it to a pocket where it might be withdrawn by the subscriber. It has been found in practice that large numbers of coins which are thus returned by the operator, upon failing to complete a call, are left in the coin pocket of the telephone pay station by the persons depositing the coins, through inadvertence or for other reasons. Subsequently these coins are picked up by new users of the pay stations so that neither the original depositors who put in the calls nor the telephone company who attempted to complete the call, acquire possession of these coins.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved coin operated telephone or the like in which, after failure to complete the connection, for example, the coin is returned to a position accessible to the depositor where it remains for a limited period and then, if it is not picked up, it is automatically deposited in the telephone box and becomes the property of the telephone company. In this way, all coins are saved for the telephone company if the depositors. upon failing to have their calls completed, do not remove these coins from the coin pockets of the pay stations within a limited period. A further object of the invention is to provide a pay station having a coin receiving channel and a pair of coin delivery channels into either of which the coin may be passed from the receiving channel as controlled by the operator, one of the delivery channels having means for permitting a coin to be withdrawn therefrom by the depositor or, if not withdrawn, to be dropped 1927. Serial No. 180,664.

into the coin reservoir of the pay station. Other objects relate to various features of construction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the im proved device of the present invention, with portions thereof broken away, and

Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, with parts thereof broken away and with other parts shown in section.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the invention comprises a casing 10 which contains the principal parts of the apparatus of the present invention and the lower part of which constitutes a coin reservoir for receiving the coins deposited in the pay station. The usual parts of the telephone system including the electric circuits and the like are not illustrated since these parts may be arranged and operated accord ing to well-known methods heretofore in use. The coin is placed by the operator in a coin slot 11 which forms the mouth of a coin channel or tube 12 which serves as the receiving channel. The cross-section of the mouth of the tube, at the point 11, is of the proper size to receive a coin of the value for which the specified service is to be rendered. The tube 12 is provided with a flange 12 which is secured to the top wall of the casing 10 and the lower portion of the tube within the casing is curved laterally as shown at 12", forming a discharge for the coin which is deposited from the tube 12 on a ledge 13 formed at the juncture of two delivery tubes or channels 14 and 15. The tubes 14 and 15 are united integrally at their upper ends and diverge in two planes as shown in the separate figures of the drawings so that the coins directed into the separate delivery channels may be deposited at different points.

The movement of the coin from the ledge 13 into one or the other of the channels 14 and 15 is controlled by means of a lever 16 pivoted at the point 17 on the casing and having a lower bifurcated extremity 16, between the Walls of which the coin is received when resting on the ledge 13. By rocking the lever 16 about its pivot, the coin may be moved off of the ledge 13 into either delivery channel. \Vhen it is desired to move the coin into the channel 14, the lever 16 is rocked so that the upper end thereof moves toward the left as viewed in Fig. 11, this movement being effected pref ably by means of an electro-magnet 18 which is connected in the telephone circuit and con trolled by the telephone operator in a wellknown manner so that after a telephone call has been completed the coin which has been resting during the interval en the ledge 13 may be moved into the channel 14 from which it travels directly to the coin reser voir in the lower part of the casing 10. In case the operator fails to complete the telephone call for the person who deposits the coin in the slot 11, the lever 16 is rocked in the other direction either by the sane magnet or, preferably, by a separate ma net v 19 located on the opposite side of the lever within the casing 10. W hen the magnet 1.9 is energized, the lower part of the lever 16 is tilted to move the coin off of the ledge 13 into the delivery channel 1.5 and drops down through this channel until arrested by a bar 20 which ismoved into a position to close the channel by the operation of the lever 16 in delivering the coin into that channel. This operation is effected by the engagement of the lower end'of the lever 16 with the laterally directed extremity 21 of a lever 21 which is mounted to rock on a pivot 22 and which is provlded at its lower end with a bifurcated portion 21 adapted to straddle i the bar and to be engaged on opposite sides thereof by the annular flanges 23 which are formed on the bar. The rocking motion of the lever 21 causes thelower end portion thereof to engage one of the flanges 23 and thereby ci'lects a longitudinal movement of the bar 20 which is inoun travel in a guide 24 formed in one wall of the channel 15 and to engage a slot 25 formed in the opposite wall of said channel;

When the coin is arrested by the bar20 it occupies the position 26 shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, in registry with a notch 2'7 which is formed in one edge of the channel 15 within a coin pocket 28 through which v the delivery channel 19 passes. The pocket 28 is a cup-shaped member having an annular flange28 secured to the wall of the eas- 1ng in registry with an opening 2:) formed in the wall thereof and while the coin remains on the bar 20 it is accessible to the the spring 30 interposed bet-ween tne piston 32 and the opposite wall of the dash-pot cylinder so that the spring tends normally to move the bar 20 toward the left as viewed in F ig. 2. The movement of the piston 32 under the influence of the spring 30, which is compressed by theinitial operation of the l ver 21 in moving the bar 20 across the channel 15 is retarded by the compression of the air in the chamber 33 between the pistonand the wall 31 of the dash-pot cylinder. This wall has a ball valve 34 located therein to produce a ready inflow of air when the piston is moving toward the right to compress the spring 30, but which allows only a slow outflow of air when the spring 30' is permitted to expand. This daslrpet efiect upon the expansion of the spring 30 allows the bar 20 to retain its position closing the slot 15 for a sufficient length of time to permit the depositor of a coin to withdraw it after finding that his telephone call has not been completed by the operator anth if the coin is not then withdinwn the bar 20 is. automatically withdrawn by the action of the spring 30 so that the coin then drops into the reservoir in the bottom of the casing.

An important feature of the invention is that the coin when arrested within the pocket 28 in a position accessible to the user, is still retained within-the delivery channel 15'so that if it is not withdrawn by the depositor, reservoir at the bottom of the casing by automatic means independently of the control of the telephone operator. This is of particular advantage in case the coin deposited by the user of the telephone is inadvertently diverted by the operator into the channel 15 instead of the channel 14 in a case where the telephone call has actually been completed by the operator. If this error is committed by the operator, the coin is automatically dropped into the coin reservoir at the end of the predetermined interval, assuming that it is not withdrawn by the depositor while it is arrested in registry with the notch 27 in the delivery channel. 15. The withdrawal of the coin at this time by the d-epositor thereof is rendered improbable in a vcase where the telephone connection is completed by the operator,

because the pocket 28 is located within the outer walls of the casing 10 and the coin 26 when resting on the bar 20 does not attract the attention of the user of the telephone unless he is looking for the return of his coin.

Although one form of theinvention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that it may be embodied in various other forms within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

apparatus of means for receiving a coin it will bedropped into the coin.

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deposited by the user, and-means operable thereafter for causing said coin to occupy for a definite limited period only a position accessible to said user.

2. The combination in service rendering apparatus, of means for receiving a coin deposited by the user of said apparatus, and controlled means for returning said coin and causing it to occupy for a definite limited period only a position accessible to said user upon failure of said apparatus to render said service.

3. In combination, service rendering apparatus under the control of an operator, means for receiving a coin deposited by the user of said apparatus, and means under the control of said operator for tentatively ret ning said coin to said user upon failure to render the service desired by said user and then rendering said coin inaccessible it not removed by the user.

4. In combination, service rendering apparatus under the control of an operator, means for receiving a coin deposited by the user of said apparatus, a coin receiving chamber, a coin pocket accessible to said leer, and means under the control of said operator for determining Whether said coin is deposited in said coin receiving chamber or returned for a definite limited period only to said coin pocket.

5. In combination, service rendering appa ratus under the control of an operator, means for receiving a coin deposited by the user of said apparatus, a coin receiving chamber, a coin pocket accessible to said user, means under the control of said operator for determining whether said coin is deposited in said coin receiving ch amber or returned for a limited period to said coin pocket, and means operable at the end or" said period for causing said coin to move from said coin pocket to said coin receiving chamber upon failure of said user to withdraw said coin from said pocket.

6. The combination in service rendering apparatus of a coin receiving channel for receiving a coin deposited by the user of said apparatus, a coin delivery channel, a coin chamber adapted to receive coins from said delivery channel, means for arresting said coin in said delivery channel, and means to permit the manual withdrawal of said coin by said user from said delivery channel when so arrested.

7. The combination in service rendering apparatus under the control of an operator, of a coin receiving channel, a coin delivery channel, means under the control of said 01 erator for regulating the passage of said coin from said receiving channel to said delivery channel, and means actuated when the movement of said coin into said delivery channel occurs for temporarily arresting the passage of said coin through said delivery channel in a position accessible to the user.

8. The combination in service rendering apparatus under the control of an operator, of a coin receiving channel, a coin delivery channel, means under the control of said operator for regulating the passage of said coin from said receiving channel to said delivery channel, and means actuated when the movement of said coin into said delivery channel occurs "for temporarily arresting the passage of said coin through said delivery channel, said delivery channel having an opening therein to permit the withdrawal of said coin when it is so arrested.

9. The combination in service rendering apparatus under the control of an operator, of a coin receiving channel, a coin delivery channel, means under the control of said operator for moving said coin "from said receiv' channel to said delivery channel, means actuated when the movement of said coin into said delivery channel occurs for obstructing the passage oi said coin through said delivery channel, and means for automatically withdrawing said means after a predetermined period.

lO..The combination in service rendering apparatus or" a coin receiving channel, a coin delivery channel, means for moving said coin from said receiving channel into said delivery channel, means actuated by said last named means for obstructing said delivery channel, and means rendered operative by the movement of said obstructing means to obstructing position tor subsequently with drawing said obstructing means.

11. The combination in service rendering apparatus of a coin receiving channel, a coin delivery channel, means for moving said coin from said receiving channel into said delivery channel, means actuated by said last named means for obstructing said delivery channel, and means having a certain time period of operation for automatically withdrawing said obstructing means from said delivery channel thereafter.

12. The combination in service rendering apparatus 01 a coin receiving channel, a coin delivery channel, means for moving said coin from said coin receiving channel into said coin delivery channel, a bar actuated when said movement occurs to obstruct said delivery channel, spring actuated means for re turning said bar from obstructing position, and a dash-pot for delaying the return movement of said bar.

13. The combination in service rendering apparatus of a coin receiving channel, a coin delivery channel, a coin pocket through which said delivery channel passes, said delivery channel having an opening in its Wall within said pocket, means for moving a coin from said receiving channel into said delivery channel, means operable when said movement occurs for arresting said coin in regisobstructing try with said opening, and means for thereafter withdrawing said arresting means.

14. The combination in service rendering apparatus of a coin receivin channel, a pair of coin delivery channels each open at its lower end, manually controlled means for moving a coin from said receiving channel into either of said delivery channels, and means actuated when the movement of said coin into one or" said delivery channels oc curs tor temporarily arresting the passage oi said coin through said last mentioned delivery channel.

15. The combination in service rendering apparatus of a coin receiving channel, a pair oi coin delivery channels each open its lower end, manually controlled means for moving a coin from said receiving channel into either of said dcnvery channels, m ans actuated when the movement of said coin into one of said delivery channels occurs for temporarily arresting the passage of said coin through said last mentioned delivery channel having an opening in its wall to permit the withdrawal of a coin when so arrested, and means for automatically withdrawing said arresting means alter a predetermined period.

16. The combination in service rendering apparatus of a casing, a coin delivery channel in said casing having an opening in the wall thereof accessible to the user of said apparatus, and means under the control of an operator for arresting a coin in registry with said opening while retaining the coin within the channel.

17. The combination in service rendering apparatus of a casing having a finger-receivin pocket extending inwardly from its outer wall, a coin delivery channel located in said casing and extending through said pocket, said channel having an opening in its Wall within said pocket, and means for arresting the coin Within said channel in registry with said opening.

18. The combination in service rendering apparatus of a casing having means to receive a coin, means for returning a coin from within said casing to a position accessible to the depositor thereof but concealed from his view, and means automatically operative thereafter for rendering said coin permanently inaccessible to said depositor.

in testimony whereof I have subscribed my name,

EDWIN M. SCHANTZ. 

